Telephone companies have long offered directory assistance service. A typical caller dials a special number, such as "411" for directory assistance. Often the caller who requests assistance is connected to an operator. Recent advances in voice recognition systems permit 411 services to connect the caller to a voice recognition computer. The computer has a store of digital files, including prompts for the caller. In response to information provided by the caller, the voice recognition system either identifies the requested subscriber phone number or passes the call to an operator.
The operator and the voice recognition system have access to one or more computers that store the telephone numbers for local and long-distance subscribers. Subscriber telephone numbers are stored in accordance with subscriber data. Such data includes the name of the subscriber and the subscriber location including street address, city or town, and state. After the 411 service acquires the requested phone number, the number is usually automatically announced to the caller. The announcement is a computer-generated voice signal that gives the caller the requested subscriber phone number. Advances in directory assistance technology allow the directory assistance equipment and its caller to interact. Now a caller can choose to let the directory assistance equipment automatically place the call to the requested phone number. The announcement directs the user to press a specified key on the telephone pad or say "yes" if the user wants the directory assistance equipment to dial the number. Often there is a charge for automatic connection.
Customers of telephone companies may have special announcements associated with directory assistance requests. These special announcements may also include voice recognition and interactive features. For example, when a customer calls a given location, the customer will hear a recording announcing a plurality of options. The customer is directed by the message to select one of the options by pressing a key on the telephone pad. Such announcement systems have certain drawbacks. At present, announcement systems are normally part of the directory assistance equipment. Such equipment normally includes a computer, such as a minicomputer or workstation. The computer itself and its software is both expensive and proprietary. Directory assistance equipment of one manufacturer may not be compatible with equipment of competitors. The equipment is expensive and difficult to reprogram. Subscribers often want to make their own changes to their announcements without depending upon telephone company schedules and personnel. However, subscribers must purchase the equipment and expensive software tools in order to control announcements.
As a result of these problems, there has developed a need for a more flexible telephone announcement system.